A Midsummer Night's Dream
Sir William
Shakespeare; an abstract
by Celestial
Fantasy!
Fantasy and Shakespeare!
All in One Breath!
Faeries (fairies)? ... Strange.
All
in one breath?!
Well, it's no surprise ... He discusses it in Romeo and
Juliet during Horatio's
Dream ... Queen Mab, the Queen of Fairies? Ring
a Bell? Well, he does.
How else is he
to be taken seriously when writing
the play (a comedy) probably to be categorised as fantasy these days?
Well, a magic forest enchanted with the mystery and illusion of
faeries; the light-heartedness that is associated with play challenges
the adult world to believe in a world of wonder and amazement as well
as the presentation of another order ... Naughty, playful, evil ... ?
Perhaps dependent on our perspective?
The religious world, homophobic
world, child chastised world, anti-imaginary world etc. would certainly
not find this to be a play of worth or would they? All things have
there place in this world as the other.
A challenging read to all older
than a
toddler and toddler alike as
language itself is divisive.
The
season is hot and humid and leaves one not wanting to get too
close ...
too close ... too close to Shakespeare and his characters.
The Globe
Theatre was instrumental in the staging of all of Shakespeare's plays.
Theatre's transition had been impeded and yet at the same time
motivated by the events that moved the populace.
Camus's
existentialism, a belief in the human race and something above us all,
call it “God” (as you like it); on reflection and sorting of all the
philosophies perhaps best describes the philosophies that accommodated
this era of change and lifestyle practise. Shakespeare's plays would
represent an aspect, a part of every event, decision, and God forbid
beheadings !
Here are a few examples:
Suitors were born out of each
play, a hero to mark, the time of each event eg. Hamlet, a valiant,
noble warrior?! Prospero, a leader self appointed saviour upon a vessel
of change. The weather in The Tempest as tempestuous as the temperament
of characters, issues and demands.
The time
denoted the need for strong leadership whilst undertaking the
challenges of the time, developing theatre and ensuring that theatrical
elements were steadfastly evolving into a tool, an instrument, a rod, a
net (for the fishes of “men”)?
Change and Transition was and is
inevitable. Shakespeare, like his counterparts such as Christopher
Marlowe knew this and needed to make a decision; Become part of a
progressive theatre movement or be left behind ... along the way side
of literary exposure.
Shakespeare masterfully (yet naively - that's why
it is masterful) taps into the resources of his time as we are able to
see with “Romeo and Juliet”.
The Age of Innocence, youth, and the aged
Queen of England who demanded the affections of the populace as the
populace's demands led to her aloneness, isolation and solitariness ...
her loneliness (the queen was to satisfy the populace in respect of her
choice of husband; husbandry was of utmost importance).
The Elizabethan
Age was a time of poverty and Financial impoverishment ... the age was
in transition towards the death of the Medieval world and the birth of
the Modern World.
Camus's theory on existentialism
seems to take root in Shakespeare's life and inevitably in his literary
works; redefining man's nature. You may well imagine that confusion
abounded.
Of course, politics would have no place in love as they would
determine their own rules. This would have little or nothing to do with
pleasing the nation or populace ... impending death is met with their
impetuous behaviour; Acts of Youth; Beheadings and regret are sure to
follow.
The “family's” transition was indicative of the time as the
search for a new order, the demand of it; cultural renaissance was
required ... a stronger belief system and belief in “God or other”.
Freethinking was the order of the day or so it appeared?
Where was / is
love's place to be?
Where is God's place to be?
Not forgetting the
populace's demands on Elizabeth, the First's reign and the pickiness of
suitor; the choice of suitor would determine who would sit alongside
her as king of England. This weightedness was to later weigh upon the
Heart leaving little room for love, but heartaches.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
THEATRICAL?!
... What brilliant staging, The Globe Theatre; Hamlet! Imagine a
beautiful, commanding rhobust woman being played or staged in Grecian
style or perhaps even Roman theatre. Ophelia, Juliet, Ariel ... all
women being played or staged by men, young boyish innocence at its
best.
This makes the romance factor daringly more
challenging for a heterosexual society or does it?
The theatre
thankfully changes progressively with the move towards the modern world
... : Well cross dressers and others may find this illuminating. I on
the other hand love the transition of theatre ... don't you? A woman
playing a woman, a child playing a child, a man playing a man (or more
or less) backdating Shakespeare at any given time.
Shakespeare where
art thou now?
Women and men have become empowered and have more to offer, do or
discuss other than “How/When etc do I wash yous feet master?” since
mine also needs washing!
Humility has its place, does it not?
We needed
the change and still do to accommodate change.
No doubt a correct temperament is needed. Read it and share your
opinion
Love and Literacy to All Me
http://www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/1770354-hamlet/
http://www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/1769133-midsummer-night-s-dream/
http://www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/1764097-julius-caesar/
http://www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/1765597-romeo-juliet/
More reviews about the A Midsummer Night's Dream